


Ring Around and All That Jazz

by Pemberley_Press



Series: Merhartwin A/B/O verse [1]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Crack, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Merlin, Canon-Typical Violence, Eggsy is a Little Shit, Harry is a Little Shit, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kidnapping, M/M, Minor Character Death, Miscommunication, Multi, Original Character(s), POV Eggsy Unwin, POV Multiple, Protective Merlin, Slow Build, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tattoos, merhartwin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-06 00:50:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 17,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11589630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pemberley_Press/pseuds/Pemberley_Press
Summary: Eggsy Unwin knows the facts about soulmates just like everyone else,but it was still what he wished for and dreamt of.He continues to dream even though he knows that a scentless beta like him has no hope of ever having one soulmate, let alone two.But a boy can still dream yea?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/B/O Soulmate AU  
> Where major injuries or great pain can sometimes be temporarily shared with your soulmate through a soulbond.  
> Mostly self beta'd  
> Sorry for any glaring problems.

>   
>  It is a well known fact that everyone has a soulmate.It's also a well known fact that not everyone is lucky enough to actually end up with their soulmate .

Some folks just turn out to be incompatible and some folks just settle for what is easy.Then there are those poor souls who found their soulmate only to lose their love through some tragic turn of events.

But some matches? A full triad of alpha,beta,and omega,those are the fairy tales.Written for all the universe to gaze upon and admire throughout time.  
  
Yes,some precious few matches are still written in the stars.

Eggsy Unwin knows the facts about soulmates just like everyone else,but it was still what he wished for and dreamt of.He continues to dream even though he knows that a scentless beta like him has no hope of ever having one soulmate, let alone two.But a boy can still dream yea?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mycroft Llewellyn had found his soulmate exactly one day before his twentieth birthday.Due largely in part to one posh wanker by the name of Harry Hart and his joyful proclivity for danger.

Mycroft was running Harry through his first solo mission and Harry, the right git that he was, had completely ignored the newly installed Merlin’s instructions.It seemed as though he was hell bent on forgoing all forms of self perseverance.

 _“GALAHAD! DONT YE DARE DETONATE THAT CHARGE! YOU WON'T-”_ Was all he managed to get out before Merlin,began to hang his head. He had watched in fury and helplessness, as his fellow agent and best friend,set the damn charge and threw himself out of the second story window.

Merlin suddenly felt sick to his stomach and the room began to spin. Everything around him faded to black.

When Merlin awoke on the floor of his office with his broken coffee cup lying near his head, his support staff was still on high alert. All of them were avoiding his gaze until Percival,much to the staff's relief, came to fetch him to medical.

He was right set to rip Galahad a new asrehole before it was all said and done. Merlin was a tightly wound ball of righteous fury. However, as soon as he passed the mirror that hung in the hall just outside the medbay door, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Merlin couldn't help but stare in awe at the bright red scar that suddenly was covering his forehead.He looked inside through the doors, at the man lying helpless in the bed before him. There in front of him he saw the much deeper, but clearly matching, head wound.

Mycroft Llewellyn knew right then and there that they, he and Harry Fucking Hart, were god damn soulmates.

He groaned aloud at the thought.Of course the old ones would try his reserve and patience, by sending him a soulmate as pig headed as himself.

When Harry finally awoke he could tell that Merlin hadn't left his side in days.Harry coughed rather loudly and Merlin startled awake,dropping his clipboard and snarling with a growl that sent shivers down Harry's spine.

The Alpha had always smelled rather dark and distant to Harry. Like sinfully old brandy.  
Merlin looked at him with those piercing green eyes, all fire and promises,and Harry moaned. Much to his own horror he realized,out loud. He hoped he could pass it off on the drugs or his concussion.

 _“Gallah- er, Harry”_ , Merlin corrected himself, _“I think we need to talk about ye disobeying my direct orders..”_

Harry shivered again and looked at Merlin. He spent his time and took him all in.The thick Scottish brogue, the soft looking jumper that he just wanted to nuzzle into, the slight smile at the corner of Merlin’s eyes.He looked away for a minute simply too overwhelmed for speech.

 _“Harry, it's simple yeah?”_ Harry swore that it felt like Merlin was looking straight into his soul even from where his eyes rested on his lap, _“If ye are to be mine yer gonna have to take better care of yourself.”_

Harry Hart’s jaw suddenly and quite literally dropped open.

 _“Um, pardon me Merlin?”_ Harry said looking rather confused. _“But what exactly, do you mean by **yours**?”_

Harry would be lying to himself if he didn't admit to having thought up quite a few fantasies involving the wizard. But something in Merlin’s voice caused him to look up.

Merlin's current actions,surprised as Harry is to see them, seemed to be nothing he couldn't rationalize away based on his current condition

Merlin looked almost nervous as he opened his mouth again to speak. “What I mean is”, Merlin began, as he rose to sit next to Harry on the bed, “is that you are mine. You are my match Harry, and I intend to keep ye with me for a very long time.That is, if you'll have me?”

It was only then that Harry noticed the faded red scar on Merlin’s forehead. He tentatively reached out and touched his forehead. As Merlin leaned into him they both felt the other press a surge of energy between them.

Harry and Mycroft both dove into love head first.They both came up blissfully happy,with the newly formed bond thrumming brightly between them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things progress...

> A few years later and the only person alive who could call Merlin “Mycroft” and live was Harry.

They were both disgustingly happy and content to have found each other so early in life. Most folks nowadays were just happy enough to find their partner at all, but to Harry and Merlin, something still felt off, as if a piece of them was still missing.

Harry had brought his idea of the problem to Merlin and it wasn't long before they agreed that they both knew, they absolutely knew that they had an omega out there somewhere missing the both of them.

Everyone around told them not to hold their breath about finding a true omega. They knew true triads were rare anymore, they just hoped that they were among the lucky ones who did indeed have a full soulmate bond.

But after a few years of being together, even they had to begun to wonder how it could possibly be that, if they did have an omega, why was it that they had never found so much as a scratch mark on either of them from their much longed for missing partner?

They still held out hope that someday they would find them.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
 The council estates are only across town from all of the best places in London.But anyone who has ever had to spend even a short amount of time there would sooner tell you that it might as well be a whole world away. The differences in life's available pathways between the the posh and the poor can sometimes be astounding.

Michelle and Lee Unwin know that their boy will need to be protected.Because whoever his mate is is someone they think would be a possible danger to his life.The first time their child shows up with a bright red mark,it looks like a scar from a bullet to the chest.

They know that, no one, not even Eggsy himself can ever know he's an omega.So they decided to keep the secret as long as possible.Masking his scent and blocking his injuries with black market medications.She never asks Lee where he is getting these things from. All she knows is that they have to protect their son at all costs.

But then Michelle's world comes crashing down when her mate goes and gets himself blown up. She takes Eggsy up north where she has heard there is a doctor who helps people become scentless. It is the only way she can think of now to protect her boy. No matter what the cost to herself. She would do this for him.


	3. Chapter 3

A scream rips itself from Merlin’s lungs as he startles awake so suddenly,that he nearly falls out of bed.He sits up seething with vicious anger and aching from a searing pain in his chest.He instinctively reaches out for Harry and then remembers that he is alone in his office quarters at HQ. He relaxes for a mere second before remembering that Harry is not at home, but on a mission in Berlin .He frantically grabs his glasses and clipboard from the bedside table.He pulls up Harry's vitals and can now see that they are spiking all over the place.

 _“Galahad! Come in Galahad! Status report immediately!”_  
All Merlin can see is the cool white tile of the floor in the hotel bathroom.He hears nothing but silence.  
_**“ HARRY!! Goddamnit answer me!”** _ He screams through the line.

His Alpha anger is boiling because he can feel the pain his mate is in,feel the emptiness, and what worries him the most is the overwhelming amount of fear.

He takes a moment to steady the rising panic in his voice.He quiets himself, letting his smooth Scottish brogue come on thick and strong,just the way he knows Harry likes.  
The last thing in the world that he wants to do right now is cause his beautiful beta any more pain.

_“Harry, love, please speak to me I need to know what's wrong with ye..”_

It felt like an eternity in flames waiting for his beta ,his love, his entire fucking world to say something.

 _“Merlin...”_ Harry gasped softly through bone wracking sobs, “ _Merlin, tell me what's wrong, It hurts so bad...”_

_“Harry, I need ye to look in the mirror on the door for me love, do ye think ye can do that?”_

Merlin can see the nodding yes of Harry's head from the movement in his glasses. He watches as Harry tries and fails to get up off of the floor.

 _“Harry what happened?”_ He says a little more flustered than he would have liked, “ _You have to show me what happened to ye, this pain it is simply too much my love .”_

Harry pushes himself up and stands shakily. He slowly turnS to face the mirror on the back of the door just as Merlin had asked of him.

He stands tall and looks straight into the mirror for a full minute,before collapsing in a ball on the floor. Harry was pale and sobbing, but physically, he scanned out fine.

Merlin's heart dropped to the floor. He knew then that protective anger he felt and the pain that they both were feeling could have come from no other source.Their omega was in pain and they were bloody helpless to stop it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 The room was bright and it smelled funny, like something he couldn't quite remember.Eggsy didn't know why his mum had packed little more than some pants and pajamas before they left but now was not the time to wonder about all of that.He knew he hurt and he wasn't sure why.He didn't remember having an accident.

He could hear voices talking low and hushed somewhere nearby. _“ So it worked yea?”_ he could tell that was his mum _“Cos if it didn't I ain't sure you wanna see wot I will do to you guv.“_

Then he heard an old man chuckle and respond with a soft soothing tone. _“I assure you Mrs.Unwin, that the operation was a complete success. I applaud you for thinking about this so early in the boy's life. While it may certainly last longer, it should last for at least 15 years.No heats,no smell,everyone,even if they test him,will think he is nothing but a pure scentless beta.”_

Eggsy had no Idea what they were talking about, all he knew was that he hurt, and that he wanted to be held and nuzzled and loved. He drifted off silently shedding tears and not knowing why he felt so hopelessly and irreversibly lost.


	4. Chapter 4

> Merlin immediately flies into a whirlwind and reroutes Percival for an immediate extraction. He cares fuck all about what Arthur will say. At this moment he doesn't give a flaming pile of shite about anything other than his beta and their suffering omega. Whoever or wherever they may be.

One thing he knows for certain is that they are strong, possibly the strongest omega he’s ever encountered.He allows the thought to calm his mind if for only a moment, as he waits rather impatiently for Harry’s return.

A little over two hours later and Merlin is holding his beta making sweet shushing noises as he gently presses kisses to Harry's claim mark.He knows Harry is feeling even more pain than he is,simply due to his nature of being a beta.

 _“We've lost them Merlin, I just know we lost them.."_ Harry choked out between sobs.

 _“It'll be alright my love. I'm certain that our omega is not lost, they are strong, they are a fighter, I can feel it in my bones. It will all be alright”_ Merlin said softly. He knew he had to stay stong for Harry no matter what it took.

That was the moment he swore, swore on the names of the old ones, that he would make it right.He cradled Harry closer lightly pressing his teeth to the mark until he felt Harry's tense muscles begin to relax.

They would never give up,they would never stop searching,they would never lose hope.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inthe almost five years since that dreadful night, Merlin and Harry had not felt or seen a single thing to prove that their omega actually did exsit. They both still reassured each other that they wouldn't lose hope.They both still felt in their souls that they had an omega.

It had been a rather calm day at work and Harry and Merlin had been enjoying a rare night at home with the dogs. Lizzy the Corgi and their Beagle K-9 (K for short) were curled at the foot of their bed when Harry began to laugh deep,maniacal laughter whuch sent tge dogs into a barking fit.

Merlin,who was finishing his evening routine in the ensuite, came out to see what all the noise was about, only to see his beta looking in awe at the rather large and obviously painful bruise forming on his ribs.Harry's eyes were shining like it was Christmas morning.

_“ Mycroft,my alpha,my heart look…”_

_“Aye Harry”_ , Merlin said his eyes also brimming with unshed tears, _“I told ye our omega was strong.”_

But what bothered Merlin was that there were several more bruises currently forming.He watched as Harry's body and his own began to become mottled with bruises.

He began to worry.The only way this many marks could've been passed through such a weak bond was if the person was incapable of blocking the mark due to being seriously incapacitated or,because they were too young to know how to block sharing their pain. Merlin worried it was a bit of both.

He honestly didn't care about the why or how as much as the who.Who, was he going to end up killing for hurting the missing part of his soul like this? He hoped he was wrong. But, if he is right in his theory, it may explain a lot about why they have had to wait so long.

He then looked at Harry who had curled up small in the middle of the bed.The tears of what had been joy had turned to pain and sorrow.Sour and bitter in the air.

They both looked at the size of the handprint that had left a burning scarlet mark across both of their cheeks.It took up the entire left side of their faces.

 _"Merlin, our omega, they're still young aren't they?”_ Harry couldn't even look up as he asked the question.

Merlin curled himself around Harry, his tears now flowing freely. _“Aye mo ghràdh,I believe that's the case. But at least we know now and that can help us, it can help us find them.”_


	5. Chapter 5

> The next several years went by with more worrisome marks appearing.Black eyes, busted lips, a few broken ribs, even the results of a rather badly broken arm had shown up.

 After every injury Merlin would pour through the A&E reports never once finding notes on marks that matched the ones he saw on himself and Harry.

He hated feeling so utterly useless, so fucking helpless to find his omega. But at the same time he was immensely proud,his omega was obviously a survivor. They had to hold on.He tried several times with all his might to push his love and reassurance across the bond.Every time he hoped for some grand sign in return and every time his heart broke a little, when all he could feel wasn't even the faintest glimmer of reception on the other end.

As the years pass Harry and Merlin begin to see fewer and fewer marks. They hoped against hope, that this means their omega is somehow finally safe. While this ultimately _does_ make them happy, it still causes them a large amount of pain, due to the fact that _they_ still have not found their missing omega.

Merlin removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.If only there was an easier way to find them, to make it known that he and Harry were looking and that they had been for almost twenty years.

Merlin decided then and there it was time.He knew no matter what that their omega was old enough. He also knew that they needed each other. Harry was arriving home in a few hours from his latest mission and after his briefing with Arthur, they would make a small stop at the tattoo parlor before returning home.

The couple had discussed it before and had always said that once they were certain it wouldn't endanger their omega,they would send a message. They had designed it in the form of a tattoo ages ago, small, simple, and meaningful.Three hearts intertwined,one filled with a crystal ball, one with a butterfly and one left empty . It was an old practice that was scarcely used in most societies nowadays, but even upon the risk of pain and rejection,Merlin still thought it would all be worth it for the reward.

But then, just as it always does when the magician makes a personal plan, everything else in the world goes tits up.

Why in the hell did Lancelot have to go in alone, only to get himself sliced in half?

Preparing for training new recruits was the last thing Merlin wanted to deal with right now, but once again just as it always did,saving the world came first for him and Harry.


	6. Chapter 6

> Eggsy knew he was right fucked now. Even if he didn't get locked up he knew that Dean and his pack of bloody dogs would rip him apart once he got back to the estates.
> 
> All because he couldn't hit a fucking fox.

If it wasn't for his Daisy he wouldn't have cared about any of it , but after his Mum's new marriage had been established, he had just tried to take care of his Mum and Daisy as best he could.He had done good so far. She'd never had a hand laid on her in anger. That was his role to fill,and he took it well.

Now all he could think about was how to get out of there, how to get Daisy and just _run_.

He knew that the time to cash in on his father's last gift was now. He pulled the medallion from his shirt. He dialed the number and waited.He began to panic as the lady told him he had a wrong number then suddenly he remembered

_“Wait,wait!..Oxfords not brogues?”_

The woman's tone changed entirely,it became sweet and sincere instead of vaguely irritated.

 _“Your complaint has been duely noted and we hope that we have not lost you as a valued customer.”_ was all she said before Eggsy heard the line click.

He sat there in the station completely dumbfounded.He wondered exactly what in the hell he was going to do now. He wouldn't, no couldn't, give up his mates. It was his screw up and he alone would take the brunt.It was nothing more than he deserved. Why did he waste his phone call on that stupid medal? He should have called Morgan, then at least he could have gotten Daisy to saftey.

But he might as well add that to the long list of shit he'd screwed up. His gymnastics career,school,the Marines. He just had no instinct to protect himself.The ones he loved, they were his only thoughts ever.

Much to his surprise,he did not have to wait as long as he had expected to find out his fate.It hadn't been but a short while after his phone call had ended, that he somehow found miraculously walking out of the police station of his own free will.

As he began to walk away the hairs on the back of his neck pricked up with an uneasy sensation. Just then a tall man in suit, a rather attractive tall man in a suit Eggsy thought to himself, called out his name.

_“Eggsy, My name is Harry Hart. I knew your father  and I gave you that fucking medal, so, care for a pint?”_

After Eggsy had finished gaping at the man,he picked his jaw up off of the ground and plastered on his best smile and said, _“Sure thing, bruv.”_

He decided to go to the pub with this Harry bloke and see what the deal with him was. But when the hounds came he had tried,he tried so damn hard to just get Harry to leave.The last thing he wanted was someone else being hurt because of him.

He really thought Harry was going to leave the pub like he had asked and that he would be safe from Dean's goons. Right up until they made that rentboy comment,that was when Harry froze.He then strode confidently forward and began to lock the door.

“ _Maners.” *_ **schink** _* “Maketh.” *_ **schink** _* “Man.” *_ **schink** _*_

Harry punctuared each word with the sturdy slide of a deadbolt.

 _“Do you know what that means?”_ Harry asked never even turning around to look at the hounds. He didn't need to. He could see perfectly well the vapid expression of idiocy on their faces in the mirror to his right.

 _“Well then, perhaps I should teach you a lesson_.”

In the flash of an instant Harry had used his umbrella to hurl an empty mug directly at Rottie’s head.It shattered upon impact.The others froze not quite sure if the should stay and choose to fight over giving into the instinct of flight.

Harry however, had absolutely no intention of giving them a choice.

Eggsy had never seen a display of sheer beauty quite like what he saw before him.Harry took out the entirety of the goon squad with the precision and grace of a ballet dancer.  He moved with such ease and finesse around the small pub. Eggsy was still  in shock when Harry left telling him to drop by and see him sometime at Kingsman Tailors.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where stuff gets a tiny bit more heavy.

> Eggsy knew he didn't have much time before Dean's stupid bloodhounds broke loose again.

 He ran home and gathered what he could in one of Daisy’s diaper bags. He went to the room they shared and grabbed the crying babe from her crib and placed her into the carrier on his back.

He could hear the yelling getting louder.He knew he had one chance to get her out of here safe. He opened the door ready to bolt and froze, when he saw the cleaver at his mum's throat.

 _“Eggsy, babes, run he's gonna kill you!”_ Was all the time she had before Dean sliced clean across her throat. Dean sneered as he came closer. He couldn't see Daisy on Eggsy's back and for that he was glad. Eggsy circled around him just to keep it that way.

As soon as Dean lunged a voice boomed across the whole flat. _“I wouldn't do that if I were you Mr. Dean Anthony Baker”_ Dean froze on the spot.

 _“Eggsy, meet me at the tailor shop I told you about.”_  Dean still wasn't moving, so Eggsy, Eggsy decided  it was time to **_run_**.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Eggsy decided to take Daisy to the only two people he knew he could trust. He'd known Peter and Morgan forever.They had worked hard to get their own place away from the estates.

Morgan grew up two doors down and was the strongest alpha female he knew.He had become close with Peter back when they had joined the marines and as the only other beta in his squad, Peter was the only person who understood exactly why he had to leave.

He knew he could trust his girl to none better while he was away. He hated this but he knew it was best for him and his Daisy, he knew he needed this chance at safety for her.  

When he arrived at their flat they both grabbed him and wouldn't let go. After explaining the risks, they offered to care for her as if she were their own. It was a  wonderful blessing, especially since they couldn't have any pups,due to an accident in Morgan's youth.

He told them to keep her safe gave them her birth cerrtificate and left them with an envelope he had nicked from Dean which had about $10,000, he guessed. Morgan growled at him but he stood resolute.

 _“We love you ya git”_ she said softly _,_ catching Eggsy’s chin making sure he could see the truth in her eyes _. “You know that right? You know you could just stay,with us.”_ she said as she nuzzled his scentless neck.

Eggsy thought long and hard.it would be so easy to stay. He wanted to love them both the way he knew they loved him, but he still felt that someone out there was looking for him as much as he was looking for them _._

_“I know that love, and maybe one day I can,but I've got a mate of my own somewhere out there. I do love both you guys,you're the closest I've ever came to finding that missing part, that's why I'm trusting you with my heart ya know. Don't let her forget me yea?”_

And with that he left to meet a man about a suit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry sat in the shop cursing himself for letting all of this happen to Lee's kid. He should have helped more,somehow,some way.  But when Eggsy walks in it instantly  stills his fevered mind.

_“I never met a tailor before, but I know you ain't one.”_

Harry begins to explain about about all of the potential he sees in Eggsy and how this could be the perfect opportunity for him.

Eggsy realises that the more Harry talks, the more it opens up some deep soulful need within him.So naturally, Eggsy eagerly accepts Harry's job offer.

_“Wot have I got to lose yea?”_

Harry then reached around eggsy placing his palm on the mirror to activate the lift. Harry began to explain about the history of the Kingsman just as Eggsy’s skin began to prickle and heat at the closeness of the body next to him.

All through the bullet train ride,Eggsy tried to make his mind behave, but the way that Harry talked to him, not just at him like most people, made his mind fuzzy.

 _“Shit,”_ Harry said upon their arrival, _”we're late.”_

He hurried eggsy along the corridor before them. But when Eggsy stopped to stare in awe at the hangar below them,Harry knew he had made the right choice.

“ _Ah,Galahad.Late again I see.”_ Merlin said as they rounded the corner.

 _“Galahad is my code name"_ Harry says to Eggsy when he notices the look of confuison cross the boy's face _._

 _“And I am to assume that this is yer candiadate?_  Merlin said without looking up from his clipboard.

 _“Yes, Merlin..... this Is Eggsy Unwin.“_ Harry said not daring to look at his mate , but choosing to look at Eggsy instead .

He was he admitted perhaps just a *tiny* bit afraid of what Merlin's reaction would.

Merlin looked up and was stunned for merely a split second before he turned and addressed the lad

 _“Alright then Boyo, in you go.”_ Merlin said dryly.

Eggsy turned to Harry with a smile and walked through the thick grey doors.After Eggsy went inside Merlin shot Harry a look which he had learned long ago meant that they would be having a rather long discussion later

As Harry walked away, he knew that he had left Eggsy securely in the quartermaster’s very capable hands. He now hoped that through this, he had the chance to remove some of the red that had accumulated in his ledger. Even if he knew he had a lot explaining to do at home.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The talk at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter.

> It’s alsmost a quarter after midnight and Harry is sitting on the couch at home nervously swirling the last dregs of an amber colored liquor around and round again before raising it to his lips, to drain it.

 Just as he stands up to go and fetch another,he hears the door open and the alarm being disarmed signaling Merlin’s arrival home.

 Merlin walked in and said nothing for a very long time.He just stood in the doorway staring blankly at Harry.

  _“He punched through my mirror.”_ Merlin stated rather flatly  _._

 Of all the million and a half things he was expecting his alpha to say to him, that was not one of them.

  _“Who did what exactly, darling?”_ Harry asked as if he didn't all ready know exactly who Merlin meant by **_He_**.

  _“Yer candidate, which by the way,_ _I mean come on Harry, what is that shite all about? He’s Lee's fucking son! Did you even consider asking my opinion?_ Harry just looked at him striaight on daring him to say he was wrong somehow.

 It just made Merlin more upset.He hadn't been out to prove Harry wrong, he just would have liked a little warning.But the smugness coming off of Harry in waves has sent him over the top.

  _“Nae ye just did what ye wanted like ye always fucking do!”_ Merlin was almost yelling at this point, just hanging barely onto the edge of reason.

 Harry droped his head down, not daring to look at his mate.Smelling the rise of panic slowly mixing into Harry's sent Merlin let out a long sigh. He spoke again, this time much softer, with only the slightest hint of the all consuming sadness he felt _._

  _“Harry, we just lost James and I cannae handle all this greif plus the candidate training all at once ye know. I'm only upset because it reminds me of how easily I could lose **you** .” _ At that point his voice finally cracked.

 He sat down his things and crossed the room to stand behind Harry.He wrapped his long arms around him nuzzeling at the mark on his beta’s neck.

  _“Look mo ghràdh, if ye think that the boy can handle it I trust that ye are right.I have thought about it and observed him as much as I could today. I dare say he has the potential. So please, just pour me a drink already would ye?”_

 Merlin let go of Harry and stopped talking just as he slid onto the couch.Harry poured them each a rather generous glass and went to sit beside him.

  _“So,”_ Harry began _, “What's all this nonsense about a mirror then?”_

 Merlin turned to look at him and ran his hand over his face remembering the sheer force of the impacting fist, followed quickly by the escaping flood.

  _“In the water test, he spotted and punched through the bloody two way mirror. I have no doubt with the proper training, he could be the actually make it as an agent.”_

 Merlin groaned.He really didn't want to think about the cost of replacement for the mirror or the paperwork.Maybe he could bribe Amelia to do it before she headed home.

 Harry smiled at the thought of Eggsy rising to the occasion so spectacularly, he forgot all about how he was in trouble with the alpha for proposing Eggsy in the first place.The rest of the evening they just stayed together on the couch as they drank and thought.

 They both were foucused on the same exact thing. They both thought only about how this time they wouldn't fail the boy. About how this time, they would do everything they could to make it right. 


	9. Chapter 9

 

 

 

 

> Merlin and Harry never send any marks  through their bonds anymore. For the past several years all Kingsman agents have been implanted with an auto jammer that Merlin had created.Aside from easing their fear of passing along any pain to their young omega, it also protected the mates of the other Agents.

It was an unfortunate incident with another agents wife that brought the necessity of the device to fruition. She had been found by the housekeeper,  tortured by her marks almost to the point of death,due to a drug that had kept her husband unconscious but alive after he was captured.

That same night Merlin had immediately gotten to work on finishing his jammer.He had already been working for months on the project for both he and Harry's sakes. But what he had always felt was his crowning achievement with the tech was how he had been able to make it so that It could only be deactivated with a special code set by the agent and their soulmate. It was just a simplistic type of mental morse code.The code was only capable of being sent from the other partner’s bond link.

He definitely didn't trust Chester enough to put that kind of god like power directly into his hands, much to Arthur's disappointment. But somone had to have the power. So he put it in the hands of those who wouldn't possibly abuse it. The tech had also proven handy on more than one occasion in recovering a few lost agents Harry himself included.

But after two blasts like that,within two minutes,it is no surprise to an aching Merlin that Harry Hart’s implant chose that moment to stop working.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merlin is nothing if not a dutiful taskmaster.He never lets himself forget what can happen when somone misses something.

And thanks to his twat of a comatose beta, he is now doubly reminded of that fact every damn time he has to look at Lee's son.

And no, that had absolutely no bearing on how he handled the recruits at all, thank you very much.

He was certainly not secretly elated that one recruit in particular was taking everything he could throw at him and rising to the occasion. Even if those runs through the woods did result in some nasty bumps and bruises, it was all part of the routine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eggsy groaned, he was fairly certain he had at least a bruised if not cracked rib.It sent nothing but hard waves of agony pulsating throughout his torso.All throughout the training Eggsy’s body and mind had continued to break apart.

However, a very long time ago when Dean first began to knock him around, he learned rather quickly to suppress his marks.

Since the day he had learned the skill, Eggsy had never consciously sent a drop of his pain through his bond. He couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself  for the few times he had blacked out from the pain or gotten knocked out.He knew that some of his worst injuries would have had to pass through the bond while he had been unconscious. Well that is ,he once again reminds himself, if he even has one.

 _No, can't think like that_ , he says to himself.Eggsy would never be able to forgive himself if he caused someone he loved even a single second of pain.He knew he was strong enough to handle it. It didn't matter how much harder he had to fight just to stay on top. He would bear evey last ounce of weakness on his own two shoulders.

After all,he'd been doing it for years already. He knew he would continue to protect his soul for as long as he could.

  So when Merlin told them to pick a dog he did.How was he supposed to know it wouldn't get no bigger?

He figured that this was the true moment that him and Rox became close. She could have never let him hear the end of it for that stupid shitty pick. But she absolutely loved the way he cared for the small thing.

 And that he quite obviously did. She promised that she would be there for him and he did the same for her.

 After gun training and a run with the dogs Eggsy asked Merlin if he could go find Harry to show off JB, when Merlin turned around and grimmanced slightly Eggsy took notice.

 _“You okay guv?_ Eggsy asked with what Merlin knew to be genuine concern.

_“Yes Eggsy, I'm fine, but I do need ta talk to ye about something.Would ye take JB back to the barricks then meet me at medical?”_

_“Sure thing guv.”_ was all Eggsy replied before turning to leave. Sure something was about to get him kicked out of here.

_“Oh and Eggsy?”_

_“Yea Merlin?”_

_“Don't call me guv.”_ Merlin said with a slight grin.

Eggsy just smiled and walked away to leave JB with Roxy.

When Merlin went to check on Harry, Arthur was already awaiting his report.Merlin grumbled a little to himself while also taking pleasure in lying to Chester’s face about the signal from Harry's glasses being locked away and also encrypted. He almosted scoffed.As if after this long, _he_ wouldn't know Harry's password. How he had managed to become Arthur was beyond Merlin’s comprehension.

 _“Is he gonna be alright?”_ Merlin quickly turned to face the voice that had so quietly asked the question.Eggsy stood looking at Harry lying unconscious before him.

 _“We need to have patience Eggsy.But there's hope,okay?”_ He leaned in close so that Chester couldn't hear exactly what he was saying to the lad.That was when he saw how broken Eggsy really looked.Merlin found it slightly endearing which he wasn't sure he completely understood.

_“If I were ye, I'd concentrate on yer training.Make it through the tests.Make him Proud Eggsy. ”_

Eggsy looked up at Merlin and saw something behind those eyes urging him to do as he said. Eggsy trusted him. He also trusted that Merlin would let him know when Harry awoke.

Eggsy nodded,took one last good look at his mentor, and left more determined than ever to make Harry proud.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still self beta'd.

 

 

 

 

> Merlin kept watch at his husband's side every moment he could spare to be away from the recruits. He was even joined by Eggsy on most days.

They found it a comfortable agreement.Merlin typing away at his clipboard, Eggsy studying politics and history and geography and whatever else that kept appearing in a small pile next to the chair he always seemed to sit in.

So it would only make sense that when Harry finally awoke and pressed his call button, neither of them were there. Instead Merlin was just beginning to issue the written exam for this round.He knew this would be a rather long hour. At least he had it better than Eggsy. He still had to take the damn beast.

At the end of the hour Merlin dismissed the recruits for the evening.

“ _Eggsy , a word please?”_

The others hastened the speed of their retreat.They wanted nothing to do with an angry Merlin.

“ _Wot’s up guv?"_ Eggsy said with a grin.

 _“Just fer that I might not tell ye.”_ Merlin deadpaned.He had actually gotten used to the nickname, even though he would kill again before letting the lad know that.

 _“Oh come on Merlin,I was only jokin wit ya.”_ Eggsy said a little more flustered.

Merlin just smiled a little at him.

_“Harry's awake lad.”_

_“Shit Merlin, how,when?"_ Eggsy asked

_“A little over an hour or so ago.”_

_“So ya haven't even seen m yet?”_ Eggsy questioned.

_“Nae, and I doubt he'd still be awake at this point. It usually takes awhile for the drugs to wear off."_

Merlin paused and looked a little less tense than before.

 _“Tonight ye have another task.In the morning meet me in Harry's room, bring JB too.”_ Merlin grinned a little. _“I want to see Harry's face when he sees him.”_

The next morning Eggsy takes JB for his morning walk like always and then does just as Merlin asked.

 He knocks tentatively and Harry calls for him to enter.For a small moment Eggsy is afraid to go in.Afraid he might somehow hurt Harry just by being there.  

Then from behind him is a set of large hands opening the door and ushering him inside.

 _“Ah Eggsy,Merlin!”_ I was wondering when you would get here Harry stated very matter of factly. As if he somehow knew that they had spent weeks , just sitting beside his bed.

 _“A pug?”_ Harry said staring at JB ." _You know he won't get much larger right?"_ Eggsy looked pained for moment before Harry continued _."Wonderful choice Eggsy, brilliant little buggers the lot of them.”_

Merlin laughed silently.

The sat together and talked and laughed. Harry stealing Merlin’s clipboard more than once much to Eggsy’s surprise.Eggsy tried and was promptly denied. Harry whispers to Eggsy that he will teach him how later.

They stayed like that until Harry grew tired.Then Eggsy left to study and Merlin tinkered with some new gadget.

For the next few weeks it was the routine. Eggsy would wake up, walk JB and go see Harry. He didn't knock anymore. Typically making a joke about only knocking when he was casing a joint.

This moring though Harry was up and had shaved.He asked about JB’s training and congratulated Eggsy on making it to the final six candidates.Merlin typically follwed him in within a minute or two.This moring was no different as Harry pointed towards the door signaling the magicians arrival.

_“Oh, Eggsy, I need to have a word with Galahad in private.You are dismissed.”_

As Eggsy turned to leave noticing Merlin’s formal tone, just as Harry spoke up.

_“Nonsense, let him stay.Might learn a thing or two.”_

_“As you wish.”_ Merlin said with an obvious flair of uncertainty.

Harry hoped that Merlin didn't catch him rolling his eyes at the absurd refrence.Merlin had made him watch that bloody movie far too many times for him _not_ to catch it.

 _“Have a look at this.”_ Merlin taps a few things on his clipboard and brings up the video from Harry's incident with Professor Arnold.

_“Fucking hell! That is rank Harry.You blew up his head? It's a bit much innit?"_

Thats when Merlin explained about the implant zooming in on the scar behind the man's ear, and about how the hardware was registered to the massive Valentine Corporation.

 _“That Richmond Valentine is a genius.”_ Eggsy says with an easy smile like always did.

Both Harry and Merlin turn and look at him as if he's suddenly grown another head.

 _“Did you not see his announcment?”_ he asked almost shocked.

Harry and Merlin look at each other and then right back to Eggsy.

_“No.”_

Eggsy dosent think, he easily grabs Merlin's clipboard right out of his grasp. Merlin stares hard at him, while the boy enters a few commands bringing up a video on the veiwing screen.They watch the video and both of them realize that something is a bit off kilter.There had to be a catch somewhere.

Just as soon as Merlin had snatched back his clipboard from Eggsy,with a rather dire scowl,Harry grabbed it and began typing away.

 Merlin most certainly was not brooding when he crossed his arms and growled a little.

As Harry points out the scar behind Valentine's assitant’s ear.Merlin takes back his clipboard and they being planning a meeting with Valentine for the following week.

 Eggsy decides to bid them goodbye and leave them to it .He tells them he's going for a walk since JB is beginning to get a little restless and leaves the room happy to have done something right for once.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One week later Merlin is instructing the recruits to jump out of the plane.

Eggsy finally gets Roxy to jump.And they are fine for a moment.Right up until Merlin informs them that one of them is without a parachute.

 _I am a bit of a bastard ,_ Merlin thinks to himself.He chuckles a bit as he sips his coffee.

Eggsy tells the other recruits to pair up, but Rufus chickens out and pulls his cord.

 _“Oh, fuck!”_ Eggsy shouts.

Merlin takes another sip of coffee. He tries to keep himself from worrying about the altitude.

 Eggsy plans and directs the other recruits with a level of skill and poise that Merlin thinks Harry will be proud to see.

He whispers into Eggsy’s ear. _“Good plan Eggsy. You have 30 seconds.Come on now,hurry.”_

Each recruit pulls their cord and each time there is one less person, as their chutes pull them away.Soon enough it's down to the last two.

 _Oh fucking Hell,_  Merlin thinks. Harry and Sam will want to kill him if anything happens to their recruits.Hell,if anything happens he'd probably let them.

Merlin runs his hand over his face and sits a little straighter in his chair. Roxy and Eggsy are quickly approaching one thousand feet, if they don't deploy soon,

No,he couldn't let his mind go there.

“ _Roxy, no matter what happens now,I've got you,all right?”_ Eggsy said while grabbing her by the arms

 _“Okay Eggsy”_ she panted in reply.Eggsy pulled Roxy close and locked his body with hers.Merlin watched as the two agents entered into a freefall. Dropping his mug when the alarms begin to blare.

“ _Shit_ "

Merlin watches the screen in front of him feeling something between awe and horror as Eggsy pulls Roxy’s cord and holds on for dear life.

Somehow he directs them to land inside the K.

As soon as the others are dismissed,Eggsy's mouth goes off. Charlie and Roxy know to just keep walking.

 _“Sorry,sir. But why the fuck did you choose me as the gimp? Am I the expendable candidate?”_ Eggsy was tightly wound ball of furry.

 _“No,no,no.You don't talk to me like that.”_ Merlin could barley keep a handle on his tone.How dare Eggsy think that he would ever see him as expendable. How long will it take before he accepts that he deserves to be here?

_“You have a complaint,you come here and you whisper it in my ear.”_

Eggsy cocks his head.

Merlin looks almost shocked as Eggsy actually begins to approach.

Merlin leans down to Eggsy’s ear,his breath making the hairs on Eggsy’s neck stand up.

 _“You need to take that chip off your shoulder.”_ He practically growls out.

As Merlin stands back up he pulls hard on the cord to the lads pack.

Much to Eggsy’s shock, his parachute deploys.He completely loses the grip on his helmet as he goes flying backwards towards the mansion.

He absolutely can't help but laugh a little at himself as Merlin walks away.


	11. Chapter 11

 

> A few days later and merlin sets out to debrief  the candidates. He finds them relaxing in the barricks  talking and watching the news.

Merlin walks in and hands them each a large brown envelope. Merlin sighs at the image in front of him ,but he chooses not to say anything about JB being too spoiled. Instead,he explains that this evening they will be going out on another training mission to showcase how well they can implement their NLP practice. The are to try and win over the confidence of the target within the envelope.

Eggsy is trying hard not to broadcast his current  unease when Merlin turns to look at him.

_“And yes, I do mean win over, in the biblical sense.”_

The girl is alright enough, but since he is competing against both Charlie and Roxy.Eggsy really wishes that he had gotten in a few more training sessions, he still didn't quite feel like he was up to the task at hand,but that really didn't matter now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night Eggsy is in the club drinking some shitty ass champagne and trying to not be as obvious as the other two recruits. He drains his glass and the next thing he knows, he has somehow been tied to the fucking tube tracks.

Standing before him is some wanker with a knife. The slimy git is trying to hold him ransom in exchange for information about the Kingsman and ... Harry Hart.

 _“ I dont know who the fuck that is!”_ Eggsy bellows. The man doesn't stop, he just continues on with his myriad of questions.

 _“Just cut the fucking ropes please!”_ he pleads as struggles in vain to break free from the ropes.

Eggsy wouldn't let Harry down,he didn't want to let Merlin or Roxy down neither. When the man asked if Kingsman was really worth dying for he knew the only possible answer  was **_yes_ **.If it kept them safe, it was all worth it.

_“Fuck You…!”_

And then he feels nothing.He keeps his eyes screwed tightly shut. But when he hears the gears click and bring him back up, he opens his eyes and looks around.Standing exactly where the man had been before, is Harry.

_“Congratulations...Bloody well done.”_

Harry says without skipping a beat.All tge while looking down at him with such pride, that Eggsy thinks his heart might just burst.

After he inquires about how well the others prefromed,Harry leans down to cut the ropes that held him firmly in place.

He holds his breath as Harry ever so gently cuts the rope from his wrists. Harry then stands and and offers his hand to Eggsy . He takes the hand and swallows hard as Harry then pulls him up so their bodies are flush together.He thinks he just might swoon.

To Eggsy that split second seemed like an eternity. He takes a step back and brushes himself off, following after Harry. They go upstairs to find Roxy,Percival,and of course Merlin.

 _Shit_ , Eggsy thinks, that means they had been watching that. He really hopes that it hadn't  been as obvious as it felt.

After they enter the office, no one says a thing, he is  a bit relieved at that.They all turn to watch the spectacle that is, Charlie's rather epic failure .They are all just barely able to contain their mirth.

Merlin turns around in his chair to congratulate both Galahad and Percival on the performances of their candidates.He informs them that as per tradition, they now have 24 hours to spend with their candidates.

Merlin slightly turns towards Eggsy.His features soften slightly  and his tone becomes  more somber.

_“Eggsy… you should know that your father reached this point.”_

Eggsy’s gaze only faltered for a moment before he returned his gaze to Merlin.

Harry however,was still looking away.

_“From now on, no saftey nets. Understood?”_

Merlin looked at the two candidates. They boith looked at each other and nodded.

Merlin then dismisses them all and turns back to deal with Charlie.He spends the next hour completely ignoring the spoiled brat’s ridiculous pleas for help. It was only fair to do so. He was after all, so graciously asked to fuck off.


	12. Chapter 12

 

> Just yesterday Eggsy had thought that for once things might just turn out right for him.

He had gotten to spend a whole day outside of the mansion with the first person who had ever just believed in him.Who seemed to Eggsy to bring some of the best opportunities life had to offer.Harry had him fitted for a suit and taught him how to make a proper martini and showed him all the wonders of fitting room 3.

That was yesterday.

This however, this was today.

Today everything had failed. He had failed Harry twice in one day and now, Eggsy was sitting at Harry's desk, in Harry's stupid shrine of an office, and he was crying.

 He let out big ugly sobs at the loss of the only person who he ever felt he might have loved. His chest ached and he was having trouble seeing straight.

Everything had been going so well for Eggsy, if only he'd just shot the dog maybe,just maybe, Harry would still be here in his house with his dead dog, and his stupid butterflies, and him.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

The day of Harry's accident Merlin had sat there mouth agape staring at the blank screens in front of him. His head throbbed and his flesh burned as he dug deep into his bond.He was there, Harry was still there.

Arthur contacted him saying that he would handle the situation and that Merlin should take his time with the reports.

Merlin switched off his glasses and did his best to sooth the pain through their bond and only when he felt no more pain did he let himself become wracked with sobs.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there just clinging to himself.

But the moment that Arthur's glasses had come back online, he was overwhelmed with a sense that something was off kilter. He could think of absolutely no good reason that Arthur would be contacting him again.

That was when Merlin saw Eggsy standing in the doorway to the confrence room.

“ _Arthur… Harry is dead"_

He knew then,that Eggsy must have been watching his live feed at the flat. Merlin tried to open a comm line to the room, but found that he was somehow unable to do so. He then tried to leave the control room but found much to his fury, his lab was lockdown.

He was trapped and his stomach began to burn with fear. He realized quickly what was at stake. Eggsy was going to be killed and Arthur, that sick fuck, was going to make Merlin watch. Make him watch as he stripped away his last piece of Harry.

Merlin sat watching the feed frantically trying to override the lockdown.He panicked and yelled at the screen when he saw the pen in Chester’s hand.He knew what was coming, and his chest ached.

He watched as Eggsy looked Arthur dead in the eye.Not backing down for a moment under the steely Alpha’s glare.

Eggsy  just flashed a bright smile as always and cocked his head to the side

_“ I'd rather be with Harry thanks.”_

And Merlin watched waiting to see this brilliant lad, who Harry was so fond of, perish before his eyes.  He listened as Eggsy explained to Chester the advantage of common types like him having such light fingers.Merlin quickly realised that he could no longer see Eggsy’s face. All he saw was the dark wood of the table. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The Mad King had finally expired.

He was finally able to open a line to the room, he told eggsy to go downstairs and come straight to him. He would activate the lift for eggsy remotely. Merlin called Roxy  and told her to meet them in the lab.

Then Merlin sat down at his desk and got to work. He knew they were all going to be in for one hell of a bumpy ride.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merlin alsmot laughed so hard he cried when Eggsy came through the HQ door. He also growled at Lancelot when she drew a gun on the boy, but once she could see he meant no harm she immediately lowered her weapon.

When Merlin swept Eggsy up in a tight hug it shocked him.Not that Eggsy was complaining mind you. Especially after the day he'd had.If he couldn't hold Harry at least he still had Merlin and Rox.

However, it is at that moment, he notices the scarring around Merlin’s eye.He doesn't know why but he can't stop himself, he reaches out to touch Merlin’s face.

 _“Harry's your soulmate ain't he Merlin? ”_ Eggsy almost whispered. 

 _“Aye lad,”_ Merlin replied _, “ Harry and I are indeed  soulmates and we have been together a very long time."_

Eggsy just held onto Merlin and they both sort of reveled in the feeling. They cried silent tears and sank to the floor, grabbing Roxy on the way down as well.

They were all drawing strength from one another for the battle that lay ahead of them. It wasn't long though before Eggsy,Merlin, and Roxy, went to work.

It was just another day of saving the world.They were glorious.They were a true battle pack as in the mythical legends of their namesakes.

Together they were bonded through experience of saving of the world and as the world slowly began to pick up the shattered pieces of life, so did they.


	13. Chapter 13

> After they had all saved the world and after Eggsy had so poetically ended the life of the bastard who had stolen Harry from their lives,they had returned to the estate.

Roxy had been over the moon to be safely reconnected with Percival and Eggsy had used the excitement to excuse himself to the showers.

He turned on the taps and tried to let the cascading water wash away all of the pain and despair that had crept up on him during the plane ride home.

He let out low moan and then groaned as he finally felt some of the tension in his muscles relase under the strong pressure.

His stomach was still churning,his mind was still fuzzy, and his heart was still utterly shattered.

He realised that unlike Roxy, he had no one to take care of and no where else to go.He had nothing.He probably should just find an available room for the evening,but the thought of being alone like that has him dropping to his knees in a heart stopping panic.

Luckily for him, Merlin was one step ahead of the curve as usual, He had decided to offer the lad an invitation to stay in the guest room at the flat him and Harry had shared, but when he found the sobbing boy nearly passed out in the showers, he didn't bother to ask .

Merlin knew with certainty that right now, neither one of them should be alone.So with the utmost care, Merlin got Eggsy dressed and to the cab that would take them home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Eggsy finally begins to wake, he realises that he is somehow back in the guest room at Harry's flat. He shifts slowly in the bed and notices that he isn't alone. He holds his breath for just a moment and tries to imagine that it was all a dream, that the fight with Harry and Kentucky and all of Valentine and his crap had never happened.

He wants it to have been just a terrible dream. When he turns his head a bit more to the side, he sees that it is Merlin sitting up next to him, glasses almost falling off his face and his ever present clipboad loosely hanging from his fingers.

Merlin looks as bad as Eggsy feels, he doesn't want to wake him but he really needs to move.Being still just causes his mind to rehash everything they've been through, over and over again.

He looks at Merlin and wonders what he could possibly do to ease the pain of this man who has grown to mean so much to him.What agony must he be feeling right now, how he much he must be hurting.All he wants to do is take care of the man who is always so selflessly taking care of everyone else.

Without thinking he reaches out and places his hand over Merlin's,removing the clipboard and setting it aside.

Merlin starts to wake slowly and turns this head to face Eggsy.The look of sadness within the boy's eyes makes Merlin wish that the world open just up and swallowed him whole.

Merlin just sits next to Eggsy without saying a word.He removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose.and begins to speak with a slow and steady voice.

_“I found ye nearly passed out in the looker room lad. I brought you home because as selfish as it is,  right now I don't want to be alone and you are who I want near.I assumed,that when you awoke you wouldn't want to be alone either.”_

Eggsy just stares holes into the wall, that's right he thought, this was _Merlin's_ place too. He then, has so much trouble working up the courage to say what he really needs to say.

“ _Thanks guv, "_  he says running a shakey hand through his hair, " _I uh_.. _what I mean is…, fuck I'm cocking this up..."_ Eggsy runs a hand down his face, _"Merlin, what the fuck am I gonna do now? I ain't got no one left in this whole fucking world, I ain't even a proper Kingsman.”_ He finshes in a rather panicked and angry rush.

Two small streams of tears begin to fall down the young man's face, his body shaking, trying so hard to betray him, while his mind threatens to open the flood gates of emotion he has so carefully trapped inside.

The next few words were spoken so softly by the boy that Merlin almost missed them.

  _“I've lost every fucking person that has ever cared about me.I am finally alone,just like the universe fucking intended.”_

Merlin didn't stop to think.He simply turned to Eggsy and quickly pulled him closer.

_“No lad.No one is meant to be alone and for what it's worth ye will always have a place here with me.I care a great deal about you lad, as did Harry.”_

Merlin tried to choke back a sob at the name that felt dark and ashy on his tongue.

 _“Harry will be so proud of you lad. You'll see,we'll find him Eggsy. I know how much you meant to Harry and how much he meant to you, so stay Eggsy,for as long as you want.I have no problem admitting te ye that I need yer help surviving this.I can't do it alone.”_ Eggsy shuffles himself a little closer to Merlin.

 _“Thank you Merlin,I'd very much like to stay here tonight_ _”_ he says as he is pulled even closer into Merlin's embrace.

They just sat there together, simply nestled into one another. Both men fall fast asleep within minutes.

Eggsy wakes up on more than one occasion crying out for Daisy or Harry, only to find himself wrapped in Merlin's strong arms. Tears flowing freely from them both.

Eggsy decides to stay and moves into the guest room.Over the next few weeks, the men grieve and heal.They gradually enter into a simple sort of domesticity.They go to work together ,dine together,and sometimes they spend evenings curled in the big master bed just talking about how much they still miss Harry.

Merlin tells stories about himself,about the job, and about Harry. All the while still reassuring Eggsy that Harry fucking Hart is alive out there, and just as desperate to get back home as they both are to have him there.Eggsy explains to Merlin about his mum and about Daisy,about how he hadn't been able to locate Peter and Morgan yet, but that it was alright, because he knew they were safely in the countryside somewhere.

Eggsy had decided it was probably for the best to just leave them be, Merlin had just held him close as he cried, rubbing small, soothing circles along his spine. Merlin knew that it wasn't that the lad didn't miss them terribly.Eggsy just knew that he could keep them much safer from afar, than he ever could up close.

Eggsy didn't want to question why he was always so comforted by the strong alpha that was always next to him, nor did Merlin want to question his affinity towards the resilient young beta.

They had both lost so much so quickly that for now at least, they just needed each other. They knew that the only way they wanted to get through this was together. Harry would have wanted them to be strong and this was how they found that strength.

For the next year almost, this was their routine. Eggsy would go out and fix the broken parts of the world with Merlin as always, in his ear. Some missions were better than others, but after each one Merlin was there to pick up the pieces, and for the first time in his life, Eggsy trusted somone enough to let them try.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merlin had gone almost an entire year without a single new soulmark. He had felt hollow. He wasn't certain where his beta or his omega had ended up after V-Day, but he knew with a rather sad certainty, that it wasn't with him.At least he knew Harry was alive somewhere out there.

  
He tried to maintain a balance of normalcy and Eggsy, the amazing lad that he was, really did help with that. He had grown very fond of him all through his time as Harry's candidate, not that he could show it openly then.

But after losing Harry, the two had continued to grow closer. Originaly just finding comfort in the feelings of their mutual grief. Merlin couldn't bring himself to imagine what it would have been like without him there to keep him steady.To make him eat,to make him sleep, and to make him remember happiness and joy. Yes, Eggsy did all these things and more,so much more.The only proper thing he could do, was to take care of Eggsy in return.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hurt eggsy and mild smut ahead....  
> Rating has gone up

By the time the anniversary of V-day came around, Eggsy had stopped staying in the guest room all together. 

Between his nightmares and neither man wanting to be alone ever more than necessary, it just made sense to share the master.

They still had never discussed the possibility of them being anything more than what they were. Even though the affections had obviously, flown more freely between them in the past few weeks.   
  
Eggsy stopped himself from going down that mentalroad.Merlin already had a beta, he had Harry fucking Hart of all people. So as much as it pained him to think about it, he already knew that his happy dream would in fact be shattered at some point.

He knows full well that one day Harry will triumphantly return home.He knows that he will have to move on and quit playing house or whatever this is that they are doing.   
  
He decides to call Percival and Roxy, knowing that he really needs to get royally pissed.Because at some point in these past few months, he had somehow, in between saving the world, let himself fall tits over arse in love with Merlin.   


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   


How in the fuck did thia happen?Just a few hours ago he had been at the pub with Perc and Roxy.He had been at war with himself over whether or not to tell merlin about how he felt, but now, he could think of nothing more than the bite of the restraints on his wrists and the ache of his body as it was broken so nearly to it's breaking point. The drugs they had used to keep him subdued were strong. He couldn't focus on what his body felt, he had to retreat.   
  


He had to find a single thought to hold on like a fucking lifeline.He couldn't find one.He looked deep inside himself and found nothing. He let the words being spoken to him begin to invade his mind.He would always still be that scared little rentboy from the flats. No matter how hard he tried he would always be lacking, he would always be something less.   
  
He had been broken and used and thrown away so many times he had lost count.Honestly it's not like it makes any difference in the world now.He had already saved it, he had done his gallant part, and now this was how the universe had chosen to reward him.   
He knew this was the sad end his entire life had been leading up to.

He thought about, the other Kingsmen, about Percival and Roxy, about how he was just letting them all down again for the millionth time.   
He thought about Merlin, about how he wished more than anything he could have had that voice in his ear one last time. He holds onto that thought like a lifeline, imagining Merlin’s voice guiding him through a mission, just like he always did. Telling Eggsy he was there and asking him to just hold on, for him. 

Wasn't that a wonderful thought to go out on? He allowed himself to pretend for just a moment that Merlin would miss him, the way that he was going to miss Merlin.

As Eggsy begins to lose consciousness again ,he imagines Merlin is telling him to hold on, to just stay there with him.  He imagines his brute of a captor releasing him with a howl as he lets Eggsy's body slump to the ground.

Everything around the boy is crumbling in upon itself,his head swirling like a carnival ride.He feels himself slipping away and he just holds on to the voice ,the one that is for better or worse,forever inside his head.

As Percival places a bullet into the the skull of the man crying in agony before them,Merlin drops to the floor pulling the young agent ever so gently into his arms.He repeats himself softly, brushing the hair off of lads face, saying the same thing he said when he first came into the room.  
  
 _“I'm here Eggsy,I'm right here with you .Please Eggsy,please,just try and hold on for me,I can not lose ye too_.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   


Eggsy opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the sunlight that was streaming in the window. He couldn’t remember going to bed the night before. He couldn’t even remember leaving the pub. If he were completely honest with himself, he shouldn’t be surprised. At last count he’d had a few beers too many and if he recalled correctly, he’d been challenged to shots by Percival.  
  
So really, the piercing bolt slicing through his head somewhere behind his eye sockets was to be expected. The searing pain when he attempted to roll out of bed to head to the bathroom, however, was not. Eggsy let out a howl of agony and his bedroom door flew open, a very concerned and grimacing Merlin moved quickly to his side and was then sliding him back onto the bed.  
 _  
_ _“Careful there, Eggsy,”_ he gently admonished, lifting the lad slightly and adjusting his legs until the throbbing in the right one was only a dull ache. _“You’re on bed rest.Doctor’s orders_ ”

“ _What in bloody hell happened last night?_ ” Eggsy hissed, eyes blinking away tears. There was a nasty pain in his midsection as well, almost worse than his ankle, and he gripped at his sides, feeling bandages around his otherwise bare upper half.  
  
Merlin sighed, brushing a hand over Eggsy’s forehead. “ _You don’t remember anything_?”

“I remember copious amounts of alcohol” he stated flatly, groaning when a wave of nausea rolled through his stomach. “ _Oh, God.”_   
_   
“I can get you more pain meds?”   
_   
“ _No, no_ ,” he replied, clutching his stomach. “ _I’m going to be sick.”_ _   
_   
Merlin was immediately lifting him from the bed until he was standing precariously on his good ankle, and Eggsy slid his arm around Merlin’s shoulder. He tried not to wince at the shooting pain in his ribs and let himself be led to the bathroom before he stopped, insisting he could handle the rest on his own.   
  
“ _Eggsy,_ ” Merlin began, his eyes hesitant.   
  
“ _Please_?” the younger man begged, swallowing against the tide rising in his gut. Merlin just nodded, helping Eggsy to his knees and then backing from the room, closing the door behind him.   
  
After carefully making sure that the lad had everything he would need for the day  and telling Eggsy he had the next two days off Merlin left for the manor.   
  
Eggsy heard Merlin leave. He sighed as he sat on the bathroom floor trying to not get sick,the night before slowly sinking back into place.

He thought about calling Merlin and asking him to come back home. He decides to call Roxy instead.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When Merlin heard the train door open he lifted his head from the paperwork he’d been wading through and made his way to the main control room. He had a choice greeting on the tip of his tongue , but he bit it back with a frown as he saw Percival walking guiltily next to someone who should not be there at all.  
  
 _“You know_ ,” he started, taking a breath to keep his anger in check, _“I could have sworn we had a discussion about bed rest and time off.”_  
 _  
_ _“I’m fine_ ” Eggsy insisted, using a single crutch and meeting Merlin’s eyes for only a moment before he headed to the kitchen. Merlin didn’t miss the flash of pain that crossed the man’s features as he moved stiffly along.  
  
“ _Percival_?” Merlin implored, folding his arms across his chest and watching the doctor slink toward the medical bay.  
 _  
_ _“I tried to tell him, Merlin_ ,” he insisted, shrugging. “ _He didn’t want to listen to me. I mean, who am I, really? Just some bloke with a medical degree .”_  
  
 _“It’s my fault, Merlin_ ,” said Roxy, eyes wide and sincere. “ _He said he’d drive himself if I didn’t agree to give him a lift in_.” She frowned, shaking her head. _“I was afraid he’d re-injure himself.”_  
  
There was a clanking of metal on metal, a small yelp, and then a loud rather loud curse, and Merlin’s head snapped towards the kitchen. “ _Eggsy!?”_  
  
 _“I’m…I’m alright_ ,” came the breathy reply, and Merlin groaned, not believing the man for an instant.  
  
“ _That’s it,_ ” he snapped, walking back into his office and grabbing his coat, shrugging into it as he headed over to where he knew the lad was attempting to make the team Tea. Percival had slipped onto the sofa, and Roxy had backed up to it slowly as Merlin passed.

_“Eggsy, let’s go.”_   


“ _Merlin, really, I’m fine,”_ Eggsy replied, straightening against the counter where he was leaning when Merlin found him.   
_   
_ _“You’re in pain, Eggsy,”_ Merlin insisted, noticing the other man was standing at an odd angle. _“You might be fine on your crutch with that ankle, but your ribs are killing you.”_ _   
  
_ _“I can handle it .”_ Eggsy said with a slightly pained shrug.    
  
Merlin sighed, shaking his head. He moved closer, stooping to pick up the spoon that lay on the metal grating beneath Eggsy’s feet and placing it on the counter. He’d evidently tried to reach for it, causing the outburst.   
  
Stepping well into Eggsy’s personal space Merlin raised a hand to Eggsy’s face and let his thumb brush across a bruised cheekbone. He hated seeing anyone on his team hurt, but it was especially difficult when that team member was Eggsy.   
  
_“I’m taking ye back home lad,”_ he told him, moving his fingers to Eggsy’s lips when he sensed he was going to receive an argument. Eggsy’s eyes narrowed and his nose flared, but he remained silent.    
  
_ “I shouldn’t have left you alone in the first place. One night of rest is not enough to heal two broken ribs and an ankle.” _   
  
Merlin grabbed the crutch in his right hand, keeping it out of Eggsy’s reach as he positioned himself, carefully slipping his left arm around the younger man’s lower back. Eggsy didn’t protest, again leaning on Merlin’s shoulder as he had the day before, letting Merlin lead him back toward the train door.   
  
_ “Roxy, keep an eye on the control room. I’m taking Eggsy back home and I’m staying there to make sure he doesn’t attempt this again until he’s ready.” _   
  
_“Of course, Merlin,”_ she replied. _“Should I call if there’s an alert?”_   
  
Merlin stopped, waiting for the door to roll open. _“Barring an attack of biblical proportions, Roxy, I think ye can handle it”_   
  


And with that they were gone.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Eggsy stayed reluctantly on the bed as he watched Merlin move around the bedroom, grabbing a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt from a shelf in the wardrobe. He then insisted upon undressing Eggsy and tucking him in beneath crisp sheets and the warm duvet. He’d wanted to protest but his aching muscles, throbbing ankle and tender ribs insisted he allow the man this moment of control.   
  
His only solace was the fact that Merlin had taken great care to make sure his suit was hung gently over the back of his chair and his suit trousers folded neatly on the seat below. He wasn’t as sure about his belt, socks or shoes, but that seemed rather miniscule in comparison.   
  


_“Ye should try an sleep,”_ Merlin said softly, as he sat down on the bed beside him.   
  
_“I will,”_ he replied, smiling and letting his hand slide under Merlin’s. The older man rubbed his thumb over Eggsy’s palm. _“Maybe you should sleep too?”_   
  
_“Maybe,”_ Merlin agreed, returning his smile.   
  
He leaned down and Eggsy’s eyes fluttered closed as Merlin pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. The closeness was lost far too soon for Eggsy’s taste and as Merlin moved to stand, Eggsy gripped his hand.   
  
_ “Stay with me?” _   
  
_ “I’ll just be in the other room.” _   
  
_“I meant, in here”_ Eggsy replied, his voice no more than a whisper. He saw Merlin hesitate, eyes dropping to his lips before their eyes met once more.   
  
_“Eggsy,”_ Merlin said as his breath hitched, leaning close again until his lips were mere inches from Eggsy’s. He had such trouble denying the lad anything.   
  
Eggsy stifled a groan, one hand still holding Merlin’s and the older man's other hand sliding into his hair as their mouths came together. The kiss was deep but sensuous, slow and agonizingly hot. He nearly whimpered when Merlin pulled back once more.   
  
_ “Merlin, I ...” _   
  
_ “When ye’re healed, Eggsy.” _   
  
_ “But soon?.”   
_   
_“Yes,lad,”_ Merlin agreed, standing and removing his hand from Eggsy’s grip. _“But sleep now, we will talk tomorrow.”_ _   
_   
The rest of the morning had dragged into the afternoon, shadows playing against the walls as Merlin sat on his comfortable couch and watched pointless television. He’d checked on the lad in the next room several times, but he was still sleeping soundly, the pain pills Percival had prescribed were working their magic.   
  
Stretching, Merlin wandered into the kitchen, poking in cupboards and rummaging through the refrigerator. Settling on some bread and sliced deli meat, he made up a sandwich for himself and his self-appointed ward. He put Eggsy’s away to keep cool while he snagged a bottle of water and moved back to the couch to eat his lunch.   
  
He flipped channels until he found some old spy film to watch, yelling at the antics of the agent and the absurd tech, as he devoured his sandwich in just four bites. He washed it down with the water and set the plate and bottle on the table, curling his legs up and resting against the arm of the couch.   
  
His mind went back to the night of the attack. He swallowed a large lump in his throat as he remembered, in vivid detail, the sheer panic he had felt as he had watched Eggsy be broken bloodied right before his eyes.   
  
The sound of Eggsy’s ankle snapping when the man had swung the pipe, was something Merlin would likely never be able get out of his head. He didn’t hear the two ribs crack, but he knew they were probably still hurting the lad far worse than the ankle, since at least his ankle could be set and was now in a cast.   
  
Eggsy had merely been walking home a little drunk from the pub,when a gruff pack of alphas had decided he looked like the perfect mark for some fast cash.   
  
Percival and Roxy were already on their way with the reassurance that he would be talking to Merlin the whole walk home.   
  
They had been deep in a conversation about how Eggsy’s new tech requests truly were born out of necessity and that they certainly not over the top at all, Merlin"   
  
By the time Merlin had heard the screeching tires,Eggsy had already been hit.Eggsy cried out in pain at the impact, while his body was flung to the ground.   
_   
_ _“Eggsy!”_  Merlin all but shouted, _“Eggsy,what the fuck is happening?”_ But as he quickly realised that Eggsy must have lost consciousness, his voice began to waiver, “I will find ye lad, that much I promise.”   
  
He could hear the men around Eggsy talking as the gathered him up. As the men threw an unconscious Eggsy into their van, they had no idea about the very scary,very angry, alpha Scotsman, who was preparing to rain down an unholy fire on the fools that had taken his agent,his friend.His Eggsy.   
He immediately sent out the alarm to alert Lancelot and Percival.They were at the manor in less than twenty minutes.   
  


Much to Merlin’s ire,it had taken them a few hours to locate and completely dismantle the petty little organisation,and even less time for Merlin to personally make sure every single one of them would suffer for their folly. He was running on nothing but his most basic instinct.   
  
_ Protect _

He would always protect his pack and Eggsy was most certainly his pack.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
A few days later,a soft moan coming from the bedroom , has Merlin jumping to his feet, moving quickly from his office where he had been working, to the other room and  and barreling the door.   


He finds Eggsy still half asleep, half tangled in the covers from the bed. Taking in the young man’s tousled head of hair, flushed skin.His gaze dropped and he found the reason for the sound he’d heard. Eggsy moans again followed ever so lightly by _His name._   
  
Merlin’s eyebrow shot up, just as a rather strangled noise escapes his throat. Eggsy’s eyes suddenly fly open in terror at the aborted sound.

_ “Shit, My-Merlin,I can explain…”   
  
_ _“Eggsy lad, I don’t think an explanation is necessary,”_ he said in a low growl, nodding toward the tent in the man’s pajama bottoms.

“ _It ain't wot you think....”_  
  
“ _Really?”_  Merlin asked, moving to the side of the bed and sinking onto the edge, just as he’d done that first day . But this time his hand moved on top of Eggsy’s, where it was frozen in mid stroke, and squeezed.Eggsy gasped, eyes closing.

_ "Then why don't ye tell me lad.” _   


Eggsy looks nervous for merely a second before he launches in. _   
_

_“I was dreamin bout what happened an how glad I was when I woke up to ya rescuin me and how you're always rescuin me and takin care of me and .._.. ” Eggsy finally stopped and he took a long shuddering breath.   
  
His eyes slowly opened and he slightly moved his hand beneath Merlin’s. _“ Woke up a moment ago and this_ ,” he pointed with his free hand, “ _was wot I found,yeah?.”_   
  
Merlin tried not to smirk as he then began to move his hand over Eggsy’s, over the hard flesh, skin on skin contact only deterred by the soft flannel of Eggsy’s pants between his hand and his cock. He watched Eggsy bite at his lower lip, legs tensing.

Gently he began prying Eggsy’s hand away, his own deft fingers moving into the opening of the lad’s pajama bottoms.  
 _  
_ _“Please lad, let me take care of ye,”_ he whispered, seeing Eggsy's look of vulnerability “ _Just try an relax.”_  
  
Eggsy nodded, eyes closing again and lips parting as Merlin’s fingers closed sturdily around his erection. He stroked him firmly but gently, leaning down to kiss the younger man’s unbelievably tempting mouth and getting rewarded with a moan of pleasure, which he devoured eagerly.  
  
He made quick work of jerking the young man off, careful not to jostle his ribs or his legs if at all possible. When Eggsy’s breath was merely pants of unintelligible words, Merlin knew he was close. He backed up on the bed a bit and lowered his head, taking Eggsy’s cock in his mouth and sucking at the head, delighting in the taste of his release and swallowing every drop.  
  
When Eggsy was whimpering from overstimulation he gave him one last lick and then tucked him back away, smiling as he took in the sight before him. If possible, Eggsy was even more tousled than he’d been mere minutes before. His mouth was rosy from Merlin’s kisses, his cheeks were tinged pink, and the look he was giving him spoke volumes.  
 _  
_ _“Th-thank you, Mycroft,”_ he stuttered softly, breathing heavily.  
  
Merlin paused for only the slightest of moments at the use of his real name.He hated it. But, he found that he rather liked it when Eggsy said it.  
  
 _“Believe me, lad,_ ” he told him, running a thumb across that rosy bottom lip. “ _It was my pleasure.”_ Eggsy sucked Merlin’s thumb into his mouth and Merlin groaned, shifting in his position on the bed as his own arousal became quite obvious. Thank God for his pajama bottoms, he thought to himself. His suit trousers would have been so very uncomfortable at the moment.  
  
 _“Bloody injuries,Bloody Percival.”_ Eggsy complained, lazily moving his hand along Merlin’s thigh.  
  
Merlin smiled, squeezing Eggsy’s hand. He had played it up that it was all Percival’s fault. Merlin knew though that Eggsy didn’t actually blame his favorite drinking buddy.  
  
 _“When ye are better, I’ll want to revisit that.”_ Merlin said, changing the subject. _  
  
“Always making me wait,”_ replied Eggsy with a dramati but sleepy sigh, a smirk playing on his lips. _  
  
“I’m worth the wait.”  
  
“I know you are, sir.”  
  
“Do you also know how incredibly dirty it is to hear you say ‘sir’ when I just got you off?”_  
 _  
_ _“I might, sir,”_ Eggsy teased, biting that lip again.  
  
Merlin growled, moving around the bed until he could crawl in beside the gorgeous lad, tugging the covers up over them both and snuggling carefully. “ _First opportunity,”_ he threatened, _“you’re so going to get it.”_

  
 _"So about that talk, you do want more with me than just...this,yea?"_ whispered Eggsy, eyes closing in a mixture of drowsiness and fear.

 _"Yes,lad I do in fact, want quite a lot more than just this with ye_." Merlin replied as he laid a kiss the Eggsy’s temple.

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is what you've all been waiting for....

If they were not at home or on a mission, they were out looking for Harry.

Merlin had searched everywhere and anywhere he could think of.

He had a feeling that something was changing, he knew they had to be getting closer to finding him.They had flown to America when a code name had popped up in Maine, but by the time they had arrived, Harry was already gone.

 _“We will find him Merls.”_ Eggsy says softly placing his hand on Merlin's, _“You know he's out there, so we won't stop till we find him”._

One late night, after another such trip, while Eggsy was finishing up his shower, Merlin started to feel a burning sensation spread across his chest. He tossed the book he was reading aside and tore off his shirt.

There in the spot they had picked out together all those years ago,directly over their hearts,was his and Harry's tattoo.

When Eggsy came out of the bathroom to see Merlin sitting on the floor next to the bed in tears, his first instinct was to run to his alpha and comfort him,his second instinct was to wonder where the hell that thought had come from.  If he was honest with himself then yeah sure merlin was his alpha, but not in _that_ way.

They still hadn't discussed the possibility of them being anything more than what they were. They were yoo busy looking for harry and trying to rebuild the world, and If anyone asked him,Eggsy was fine with that,he really was. At least that was what he continued to tell himself.

Slowly the beta approached the bed and slid himself down next to the softly crying alpha.He couldn't  see Merlin's face so he just nudged him with his shoulder _“ Merls?”_ he feels the man shift a bit closer to him strictly out of instinct.

He tries again this time carefully reaching out next to him and placing his hand over Merlin’s

_“You wanna tell me wots goin on guv?”_

Merlin looked at him with eyes so bright they might as well have been the sun and poor Eggsy’s world broke apart yet one more time He saw the red marks on Merlin’s chest and knew that the look on his face was for someone else entirely.

“ _It's Harry ain't it? Reachin out to you, letting you know yea?”_

_“Aye laddie it is. This is our mark,our tattoo. We designed it to find our true omega.It's his fanciful way of saying he's finally coming home,because of course the wanker wouldn't use a phone. ”_

Merlin looked like the heavens had rained down some unearned blessing upon him. Eggsy didn't mean to ruin it, but his mouth just ran away from him like always.He snatched his hand a little too quickly off of Merlin’s and blurted out _“Yer_ _what_ _?”_

He must have looked positively ridiculous from the look in Merlin’s eyes. Merlin blinked and sighed as if he was very carefully thinking about a lot more than just what he was saying.

“ _Somewhere out there is our true omega,the other piece of our heart....We have been searching for them for a very long time and Harry seems to think now is the best time to be a daft fool and go look for them.”_ He finished the last part with a slight chuckle, it was something they both did whenever they spoke of Harry.Eggsy’s heart continued to break a little more and the pain that seared inside was almost unbearable,  but for Merlin he would push it down, for Merlin he knew he would do anything.

 _“Well what's next then yea? Can't  properly find the lucky bastard without you gettin one too right? Youse bein the alpha and all that I spose?”_ Merlin looked at Eggsy, really looked as the boy rattled on. He let out a bone weary sigh before he spoke again. _“Aye lad,normally I would agree with ye, but “_ and he let out another sigh, _“I don't believe they made it.I haven't received a new mark in what seems like forever and prior to that they were fairly constant.”_

Eggsy raised an eyebrow but didn't press.He knew the pain of a body with fairly constant marks and didn't wish it on another soul alive. He was happy though to sit and just let Merlin keep talking.He was having a little trouble hearing him through the pain in his chest but that was okay as long as Merlin kept talking to him, he could smile all day.

When merlin had finally stopped talking Eggsy stood up and grabbed Merlin’s hand.

 _“C'mon bruv,lets go get Harry a surprise before gets back yeah_?”

And while Merlin agrees to go with Eggsy to get the tattoo, Eggsy getting a small tattoo as well,out of what he called “solidarity”.

Merlin knows that he will never have the heart to push it through the bond.He had for the last time he hoped,finally and utterly closed that door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was after dark when they arrived back home. Within seconds Eggsy and Merlin were worried to not find JB greeting them at the door like usual. Weapons drawn they proceeded with caution. They swept through a few rooms finding nothing at all amiss, then relaxed when JB came bounding out of the master bedroom as if he had just now heard them calling him.

 _“You are an absolute disgrace as a spy dog you know that bruv?”_ Eggsy said between barks of protest.

_“Much like his master I suppose.”_

The voice behind them sent chills down both of their spines. Merlin couldn't bring himself to move or speak he just stood there waiting, for what he wasn't sure but then he smelled _him._ He smelled Harry and his eyes went wide.

 _“ Fuck sakes Harry!”_ Eggsy finally choked out first.

 _“Oh Eggsy,”_ Harry said as pulled the boy into a tight embrace, _“I'm so proud of who you have become,and what you have done.Thank you for taking care of him"_ throwing a glance toward Merlin he chuckeld _,”I know it couldn't have been easy.”_

That was it. That was the moment Merlin unknowingly was waiting for. He needed to know that Harry could possibly accept Eggsy into their lives, even if he wasn't their True omega.Because Merlin did truly love him. So he finally turned around to face Harry.

Harry was thin and hollow looking, just like Merlin himself had been and as Eggsy stood there and watched the two embrace he began to fight back the urge to cry. He watched as Merlin's hand just barely grazed over Harry's claim mark. Harry's hand raising almost like a mirror image to do the same right back. 

Eggsy felt the last shreds of his heart burst into a thousand flaming pieces.The pain was so intense and full that he began to blackout. He ran to the bathroom and locked the door behind him. His stomach was on fire and his head throbbed.He tried to get to the basin to get sick but he couldn't.

Harry and Merlin were instantly at the door behind him frightend by his sudden departure. _“Eggsy,lad tell me what's wrong alright?”_ Merlin cooed as he tried the handle and found it locked. This instantly made him panic,Eggsy _never_ locked doors,hell he barely closed them.

Harry stepped up to try, just as Merlin had. _“Eggsy, my dear boy, please open the door for us. I'm certain that whatever it is we can discuss it more easily outside the loo.”_

Eggsy didn't know what to do, he somehow knew that he was probably going to die.He knew he would die in here, alone, like the stupid pleb that he is. He finally accepts that tried and true fact, just as the room starts spinning.

With his last bit of energy he tries to unlock the door.At least then he won't die alone. He can die complete. Having in his heart the knowledge that he had made the two people he loved most in the world happy.

Outside the door Harry and Merlin hear a loud thud and without even a glance at each other, they bust down the door together.

They were not at all ready for the sight in front of them.Eggsy lay sprawled on the floor near the door. He was bleeding from a rather large cut to his forehead.

Merlin immediately grabed a wet flannel and pressed it to the cut to stop the bloodflow. He looked over at Harry who had gotten on the floor and was gently cradling Eggsy in his arms. Merlin gathered his med kit and stitched the wound closed. They both just sat there on the floor with Eggsy until he came to.

Eggsy awoke a few minutes later and tried to bolt upright, only to get dizzy and fall back into the waiting arms of both Harry and Merlin.

Harry swiftly gatherd him up and carried him out of the bathroom and over to the large bed.He laid Eggsy down in the center and curled himself next to him.Merlin walked to the other side of the bed and as he lowered himself down next to Eggsy, he watched as Harry gently comforted the lad.

“ _Eggsy, Eggsy my darling boy, I need you to wake up,do you think you can do that for me?”_

Harry cooed while stroking Eggsy’s hair from his pale forehead.

There was no movment at all, if they didn't know better they'd swear he wasn't breathing. Harry and Merlin exchanged worried glances as Merlin tried to rouse the boy.

“ _Leam mo leannan, chan eil mi a 'tuigsinn dè tha ceàrr_  ...” Merin stopped himself it wasn't like Eggsy would understand anyway.He was trying to hold back the flood of tears that threatend to spill at the sight of his young lover so quite.Eggsy was a million things, but quiet wasn't one of them. _”Please Eggsy, please just wake up for me lad.”_

He holds on to Eggsy’s hand so tight he's worried he'll crush it. He couldn't let go, not now, he hadn't even told the boy how he really felt.

Egssy doesn't wake up that night, but as Merlin and Harry lay in the bed, keeping watch over the younger man, they talked.

Harry telling about waking up in the hospital in Kentucky, how he had stolen car and fled confused and disoriented not knowing who or where he was. He explained about how he ended up staying on a reservation in North Carolina, about how the tribe had helped him heal and grow, about how they had eventually helped him make it to Maine and then on to Canada.About the boat ride to Greenland and then eventually home.

Merlin explained about V-day, about Chester’s betrayal and how he had since been acting as both Merlin and Arthur.

How he and Eggsy had found comfort in each other while searching for him.

Then he tried to explain how he wished so much , now that Harry was home, they could find a happy balnce between them all.Because as much as he loved Harry, he had grown to love Eggsy too,and he hoped that the lad felt the same way.

They both agreed to discuss it with him when he was awake and ready.

Merlin's nose catches an unfamiliar scent. It's sweet and light,like lilacs and vanilla, its as fascinating as it is perfect.

He focuses his mind to just breathe in the part of the scent that fascinates him the most, but as soon as he tries it is gone.

As they both drift off to sleep,all he can do is hope that he is right.That Eggsy will stay,and that they can all somehow, for once in this gods forsaken world,just be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> " Leam mo leannan, chan eil mi a 'tuigsinn dè tha ceàrr .."
> 
> "Please my darling, I don't understand..."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a bit.

A few of days later ,Harry yells downstairs to Merlin as Eggsy began to finally wake up.

Eggsy’s eyes slowly flutter open as he begins to take in his surroundings.Panic begins to creep in and the words start to fly out before Eggsy can stop them.

_ “Wot in the bloody hell happened Harry, where the fuck were you,and what the fuck happend to me?” _

Harry opened his mouth to say something but Merlin spoke up first from the doorway.

_ “Apparently lad you've been keeping one hell of a secret.” _

Eggsy immediately was frightened.He had no clue what in the world Merlin was going on about. Unless they had figured out his inclinations and were angry that he hadn't just buggered off yet to let them be.

He was waiting for it, waiting for one of them to break his heart. He looked between the two of them and for some reason he only felt a strong anxiety oozing off of them, not certain anger liked he expected.

_ “What are you going on about Merlin?” _ Eggsy asked as he tried to sit up but Harry's hands kept him gently, but firmly,still.

_ “Eggsy my darling boy please let him finish.” _

Eggsy looked rather shocked at the term of endearment from Harry. But he quickly turned his attention back to Merlin.

Merlin coughed a little before speaking

_ “Eggsy,focus,what does Harry smell like?” _

Eggsy raised an eyebrow high in resopnse towards Merlin. The bastard absolutely knows he can't smell anyone's scents,it's a fact he regrets all too often.But he trusts Merlin more than he trusts himself, so he inhales deeply anyway.

_ “It's like,”  _ and he stops. Because he is suddenly aware that he can smell Harry _ , _

_ “he smells like cloves and cedar and ... and, _ ” he stumbles trying to find the right word.

” _ beta” _ he says almost inaudibly, as if saying it too loud will wake him from this perfect dream. “ _ My beta.” _

 It takes him a moment to fully realise what he just said.His eyes begin to grow wide as Merlin crosses the room in two large steps to sit next to him on the bed and ask 

_ “And what about me lad hmm?”  _

_ “You,”  _ Eggsy says inhaling Merlin deeply _ , “Merlin, you smell fucking amazing yea?You smell like leather and old books and chocolate ” this time he didn't stumble this time he knew. “and alpha, _ **_My_ ** _ alpha, for fucks sake I smell,I'm an omega, how the fuck am I an omega?”  _

He was trying so hard to figure this all out but his head hurt and his brain felt like it would ooze out of his ears if it could.

“ _ Oh my strong, brave, lad” _ , Merlin said while moving his shirt to fully show Eggsy the tattoo upon his chest. If he was right,and dear god please just let him be right, this should be easy enough.

” _ You don't know how long we've been looking for ye love.I will worry later about the how,for now though, would ye allow me to try something?” _

Eggsy nodded in agreement trying not to foucus too much on the words that had been said.

Merlin picked up his clipboard and after a few clicks to disarm Eggsy’s signal jammer he sets the contraption back down.

_ “All right lad,now focus on your tattoo. Look down deep and try to send it across.” _

He closed his eyes and then Eggsy finally looked at his own bare chest. He saw that his one lonely flower was now slowly being surrounded by a heart. Next to it were two more hearts one with a crystal ball, and one with a butterfly.

[](https://ibb.co/gw2xBv)   


He thought it was absolutely absurd, absolutely beautiful and absolutely perfect.He pushed all his energy into the tiny Daisy. Watching in sheer awe as it bloomed into place on both Harry and Merlin's chests.

 _“How, how did I not know?”_ was all Eggsy could ask.

Merlin sat on the bed next to Eggsy.

_ “That is something we don't actually know either, My initial findings suggest that you have had some sort of internal blocker,but right now all I care is that we found you. That you found us.”  _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night they as they all lay with their limbs tangled together , Merlin and Harry were rather enjoying  take turns to soothing their omega’s new bond marks.Eggsy was too busy loving every bloody second of it.

Merlin looked over his pack and sighed in utter contentment.He was their Alpha, and they were his pack, they were finally whole,and life would only get better from here.

Well at least until one of them goes and blows something up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's wrap!  
> I am considering writing more for this universe. If there is interest let me know. I really hope you enjoyed it !

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this. Feel free to let me know what you think!  
> You can also find me on tumblr.  
> @Pemberly-Press


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